1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to ride-on toy vehicles for pre-school children in the form of a small animal-like figure on wheels which is pushed and propelled by a child astride the figure by the feet of the child, and more particularly to a vehicle of this type in which the figure is formed by a collapsible fabric casing enclosing at least one inflated bladder.
2. Status of Prior Art
The historic precursor of a vehicle in the form of a four-legged animal-like figure on wheels is the Trojan horse formed by a large hollow wooden horse on wheels. This horse which according to Homer was wheeled into the open gates of Troy, had hidden in its torso Greek warriors.
A modern version of the Trojan horse popular with pre-school children whose ages are in the one to three years range is constituted by, a hollow, four-legged animal figure, such as one resembling a pony, molded of rigid synthetic plastic material. This plastic figure is mounted on four wheels to create a ride-on vehicle. The dimensions of the vehicle are such that a child astride the pony and holding onto its neck can reach the ground with his feet, and then use his feet to push and propel the toy vehicle.
While children enjoy playing with a ride-on toy vehicle of this type, for the child is then riding, as it were, on his own pony, the nature of this toy is such as to penalize the parents of the child.
A child of 3 years of age, when vigorously pushing a animal-like plastic figure on wheels in an indoor area will often collide with a wall as well as with furniture in the path of this toy vehicles The effect of a collision is usually not serious, but at the very least it will leave bump marks on the walls and furniture. And in some cases, when the vehicle moving a fairly high speed collides with a wall, the child astride the vehicle will then be thrust forward and he may strike his head against the rigid head of the plastic figure and be injured thereby.
In my above-identified copending application, there is disclosed a fabric-covered stuffed toy figure having a head joined by a flexible neck to a torso to which are hinged arm and leg appendages. The fabric casing of the head is stuffed by an inflated balloon and the fabric casing of the torso is stuffed by another balloon, whereas the fabric sleeves of the appendages are stuffed with compressible padding. To facilitate packaging, storage and shipment, the figure can be collapsed by deflating the balloons, thereby flattening the head and torso.
Packaging and shipping costs of a toy are important commercial considerations. The size of a toy dictates the box required to package and ship it, the larger the box the greater are packaging and shipping costs. Also the larger the box, the greater is the shelf space required to display the toy in a retail store and in storing the toy.
In a toy vehicle in accordance with the invention, an animal-like figure mounted on a wheeled platform is formed by a collapsible fabric casing having balloons or bladders inflated therein to erect the figure. When the figure is collapsed, the toy is then far more compact and can be packaged in a relatively small box.
Of background interest is the Ochs U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,758 which discloses an inflatable toy formed by an outer fabric casing shaped to represent Humpty Dumpty, within which is an inflated balloon.